MTHS Brand Library

From its origins as a mark on cattle to today’s complex forms of global expression, the term and definition of “branding” has evolved and expanded over a short amount of time. Today’s brand is much more than a simple logo.

The Montana Historical Society has long been on a path of branding, but in recent years has sought to refresh and better define its brand, and how it communicates within that brand.

Download the complete Visual Identity and Graphic Standards Manual.

Mission

Mission - "The Montana Historical Society preserves Montana’s past, shares our stories, and inspires exploration, to provide meaning for today and vision for tomorrow."

Preserve • Educate • Connect is the call to action that speaks to the mission.

Big Sky ~ Big History is a descriptor and tag line.

Logos

The MTHS logo has five different variations, or forms. It is perfectly appropriate to express the MTHS brand in any of these forms, as best suited to your needs. To help determine which form to use, consider the shape of the space available to you, and the purpose of the communication.

Examples: If you wanted to brand the spine of a book and the name isn’t pertinent, the icon might be the best choice. If you are printing a large banner for an event or parade, then the horizontal form of the logo would be best.If you have a tight, compact space on a flyer, and the logo will be placed adjacent to other participant organizations, use the vertical form.

File Types

Which type of logo file should you use?

EPS: Best for print and manufactured products:

This is a vector format logo, meaning it can be scaled to any size, and maintain excellent quality. EPS have a transparent background. EPS is mainly used in signmaking. It's also appropriate for producing items like vinyl graphics, decals, silkscreening, and embroidery. An EPS file can't be opened directly without a vector application like Illustrator, but it can be inserted as a graphic into a publishing program like Word, InDesign, PhotoShop, or Publisher. For best quality reproduction, use the EPS format when possible.

SVG: Best for onscreen applications:

This is another vector file that can be scaled to any size and maintain good quality. SVG is optimized for onscreen viewing, and is best for web, email, PowerPoint, and video. It also displays well on mobile devices. SVG files have a transparent background, so the logo file can be placed over images or video. SVG files are not recommended for printing.

PDF: Good for print, onscreen, and production

The logo files in PDF format are also a vector format. These can be scaled to any size. PDF is a general, all-around format that can be used for both print and onscreen. It may not have a transparent background depending on how it is used. PDF is compatible with many applications, and is a good option when EPS doesn't work.

PNG: Good for onscreen applications

PNG is a raster file, meaning that it is made up of pixels. Reproduction quality will be compromised when a PNG is scaled up or down a size. PNG files have a transparent background, and are generally suited for web, video, and PowerPoint. PNG has better quality than a JPEG, and can be used in a Word doc, but use the preferred EPS or SVG files when possible.

General Usage and Guidelines

Import a logo file into your layout application, and then scale it to the size you need. To maintain proper proportions, hold down your shift key and use a corner handle when you resize. Do not stretch or distort the logo out of proportion.
Place the graphic in a neutral space without clutter, and allow some “breathing room” around the logo.

About the logo

The logo blends two symbols of Montana’s heritage: the quilt and the Native American Morning Star. Native Americans link the symbol of this star to guidance from their elders, past spirits, and ancestors, which is shared when telling their stories. Similarly, understanding our history and the people here before us guide MTHS today in telling the stories of this place we call Montana.

Quilts are a piece of living history, documents in fabric that chronicle the lives of those who made and use them. They serve as a testament to families’ stories. They connect the present to the past, as a bond to community and family identity. Quilts represent resilience, heritage, and a sense of our shared past.

Combining the Morning Star and the quilt emphasizes the Society’s mission of collecting and telling the stories of all Montanans, to provide meaning for today and vision for tomorrow. The two lines in the middle of the logo further emphasize that vision, representing equality when stitching together all our stories.

Even the colors of the new logo—sage, sky, fire, and flint—have meaning. They were taken from the Charlie Russell painting “When the Land Belonged to God” and embody the landscape of our state. That landscape has played a critical role in shaping the past and the future of Montana.

Finally, with an eye to increased visitation from national and international tourists as we open the doors of the Montana Heritage Center, we adopted MTHS as our new abbreviation. The small difference of adding a ‘T’ differentiates the Montana Historical Society from the many other states that start with the letter M. As we at MTHS look forward to becoming a community hub that engages more people than ever in exploring our histories through opportunities that are inclusive, welcoming, and stimulating, this new symbol will help guide us toward achieving our vision.

Fonts

For printed materials, Gotham and Century Schoolbook are the official typefaces. These are licensed fonts so be sure to adhere to the license agreement when incorporating these fonts.

Open fonts are used for digital publications.

The following fonts can be used in place of Gotham

The following fonts can be used in place of Century Schoolbook

The following fonts can be used in Microsoft products

For MTHS staff these fonts are automatically installed on your devices. If you have issues, contact the IT staff for assistance.

Brand Voice

Our brand voice should be helpful, surprising, and authentically "of the West." Speak with professionalism, warmth, and humility -- be welcoming, curious, and trustworthy. Consider your audience's needs and represent multiple perspectives. Emphasize integrity, sincerity, and a strong connection to land and community. Avoid being dry, simplistic, condescending, or dismissive. Focus on inclusion, depth, and genuine engagement that reflects our values and invites connection.

Brand Colors

The Montana Historical Society logo will look best with a minimalist color palette, plenty of white space, and smart use of accent colors.

MTHS Sage

Spot: Pantone 617 U
CMYK: 23C 26M 81Y 0K
RGB: 203 R 177G 83B
HEX: #CBB153

MTHS Sky

Spot: Pantone 7709 U
CMYK: 60C 7M 26Y 0K
RGB: 96R 185G 191B
HEX: #60B9BF

MTHS Fire

Spot: Pantone 7578 U
CMYK: 9C 73M 82Y 1K
RGB: 220R 102G 64B
HEX: #DC6640

MTHS Flint

Spot: Pantone Neutral Black U
CMYK:
RGB:
HEX: #4D4D4F

MTHS Canvas

Spot: Pantone Warm Gray 1 U
CMYK: 5C 5M 8Y 0K
RGB: 220R 235G 229B
HEX: #EFEBE5

In most instances, the official MTHS brand colors will be enough to maintain a clean, professional, and attractive design. While color trends change over time, here is a suggested palette of accent colors to create a lively, contemporary look. These accent colors are selected to complement the MTHS brand colors. Also included are shade equivalents of the accent colors.

MTHS Glacier

Spot: Pantone 302 U
CMYK: 54C 21M 0Y 53K
RGB: 55R 94G 119B
HEX: #375E77

MTHS Sweetgrass

Spot: Pantone 579 U
CMYK: 10C 0M 25Y 18K
RGB: 186R 210G 158B
HEX: #BAD29E

MTHS Forest

Spot: Pantone 350 U
CMYK: 18C 0M 15Y 60K
RGB: 84R 103G 88B
HEX: #546758

MTHS Earth

Spot: Pantone 161 U
CMYK: 0C 18M 39Y 53K
RGB: 120R 98G 73B
HEX: #786249

Note: When selecting font colors, verify that the contrast ratio is sufficient to meet the section 508 accessibility guidelines using an online tool such as this free contrast checker.

Templates

Letterhead
PowerPoint
Email Signature

Partner Guidelines

The Montana Historical Society logo may be used by approved partner organizations according to established guidelines. Logo use is restricted to specific activities and instances, and all uses of the MTHS logo require prior written approval from designated MTHS officials.

For complete details on eligibility requirements, approval processes, technical specifications, and compliance obligations, please read the full guidelines document here.

Social Media

The Montana Historical Society asks that users who engage with MTHS social media pages consider our community guidelines when interacting with our content. Please keep discussions on topic and be respectful of other users.

For the full community guidelines, see here.